We cannot scurry about the world attaching to anything that gives us temporary pleasure. We must not turn to earthly wisdom or clamor for empty slogans and feel-good jargon. Jesus asks us to give our lives for that which is truly life. Following him will cost us, but our reward, our sweet, sweet reward, will never be destroyed or taken away (Matthew 6:19-20).

There is little cost associated with following Christ these days, at least in the West. The message of self-denial has been replaced with a message of self-promotion. If Jesus helps us along the journey to a fulfilling life, we add him to our list of spiritual and cultural guides. When he challenges our beloved beliefs about life and culture, we reinterpret what he said or ignore it altogether. Syncretism, the blending of multiple worldviews, has won the day and many Christians are unaware of its affect on their spirituality.

If anything must be made clear, it’s this: Jesus will not accompany a smorgasbord of sovereigns. He is and will always be the one true path to God (John 14:6). His claim on our life is exclusive. All other allegiances must cease when Jesus enters the equation. Nothing else and no one else will do.

When we declare Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives, we sign up for at least three things.

First, we trust him alone for our salvation. What Jesus accomplished on the cross was more than a thoughtful deed. He satisfied the just wrath of God by dying on the cross in our place and for our sins. We need look nowhere else for justification than Jesus. Instead of our exhaustive attempts to make ourselves right and pure, we only need to embrace the blood of Jesus shed on our behalf.

Second, we die to our old self and continuously wage war against selfishness. Prior to Christ, our heart’s inclination was toward evil all the time (Genesis 6:5). Indeed, our hearts were deceitful and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Now, instead of self-promotion, we seek God-glorification. Everything we do post-conversion is for His glory and the establishment of His kingdom. He gives us new desires and a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). He gives us life abundantly (John 10:10). When sin wrecks us yet again, we turn to Christ for the forgiveness of our folly and the washing of our wounds. But we never look back. We die to sin and self. We know those who look back are not fit for the kingdom (Luke 9:62).

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